Darfur Genocide Spurs Raleigh Residents to Action

Summary

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"It is genocide," Mohammad Yayah said. A Darfur refugee who lost 21 family members to the killing there, Yayah was making his third speech of the day in Raleigh, and he was tired Where earlier he'd declared the word often, with barely controlled fury, now it came out-"genocide"-almost in anguish.

Flo Singer, founder and chief organizer of a new group called the Interfaith Coalition to Save Darfur, intends to do that and much more if she can. In the wake of Yayah's visit a couple of weeks ago, her plans include showing films, hosting speakers, raising funds, joining in a national advocacy program called "Tents of Hope," and organizing the Raleigh leg of a planned "Torch ReIa/' in December meant to pressure the Chinese government-the main impediment to action on Darfur at the United Nations-in the run-up to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

The deadi toll since 1993, when Yayah's family was attacked and their village destroyed, is estimated at 400,000 people. Another 2 million live in refugee camps, where they are far from safe-the janjaweed are there, too. The Chinese abet the slaughter, in the view of Darfur advocates like Yayah, because they co-own and export about 80 percent of Sudan's huge oil supplies. That, and the Chinese subjugation of Tibet, is why Darfur groups call next year's Games "The Genocide Olympics."

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Darfur Genocide Spurs Raleigh Residents to Action

"It is genocide," Mohammad Yayah said. A Darfur refugee who lost 21 family members to the killing there, Yayah was making his third speech of the day in Raleigh, and he was tired Where earlier he'd declared the word often, with barely controlled fury, now it came out-"geno...

See the full content of this document

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